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The virtues in the Soul run in a sequence correspondent to
that existing in the over-world, that is among their exemplars in
the Intellectual-Principle.
In the Supreme, Intellection constitutes Knowledge and Wisdom;
self-concentration is Sophrosyne; Its proper Act is Its
Dutifulness; Its Immateriality, by which It remains inviolate
within Itself is the equivalent of Fortitude.
In the Soul, the direction of vision towards the
Intellectual-Principle is Wisdom and Prudence, soul-virtues not
appropriate to the Supreme where Thinker and Thought are
identical. All the other virtues have similar correspondences.
And if the term of purification is the production of a pure
being, then the purification of the Soul must produce all the
virtues; if any are lacking, then not one of them is perfect.
And to possess the greater is potentially to possess the minor,
though the minor need not carry the greater with them.
Thus we have indicated the dominant note in the life of the Sage;
but whether his possession of the minor virtues be actual as well
as potential, whether even the greater are in Act in him or yield
to qualities higher still, must be decided afresh in each several
case.
Take, for example, Contemplative-Wisdom. If other guides of
conduct must be called in to meet a given need, can this virtue
hold its ground even in mere potentiality?
And what happens when the virtues in their very nature differ in
scope and province? Where, for example, Sophrosyne would allow
certain acts or emotions under due restraint and another virtue
would cut them off altogether? And is it not clear that all may
have to yield, once Contemplative-Wisdom comes into action?
The solution is in understanding the virtues and what each has to
give: thus the man will learn to work with this or that as every
several need demands. And as he reaches to loftier principles and
other standards these in turn will define his conduct: for
example, Restraint in its earlier form will no longer satisfy
him; he will work for the final Disengagement; he will live, no
longer, the human life of the good man- such as Civic Virtue
commends- but, leaving this beneath him, will take up instead
another life, that of the Gods.
For it is to the Gods, not to the Good, that our Likeness must
look: to model ourselves upon good men is to produce an image of
an image: we have to fix our gaze above the image and attain
Likeness to the Supreme Exemplar.
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